Openable package for a consumer product such as child's meal, with a built-in 3-D viewer feature simulating a theater

• US 4,558,528 A
• Filed: 03/14/1983
• Issued: 12/17/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hardee's Food Systems Incorporated (CKE Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Hardee's Food Systems Incorporated (CKE Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Cunningham, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stone, Cary E.
• Application Number:
  US06/475,374
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 350/140, 350/132, 46/11, 46/13, 206/116, 206/232, 40/365
• US Class Current: 40/365
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4204 Inspection openings or windows
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/37 Collapsible stereoscopes

Abstract

A consumer package which may be opened-up for removal of a contained product such as a child'"'"'s meal, is provided with a built-in 3-D viewer feature preferably simulating a theater such as a motion picture theater or television viewing room. To that end, side-by-side viewing ports of two different optical characteristics are provided in one wall of the package for viewing a scene or series of scenes, which may be disposed internally of an opposite wall of the package. Each scene is printed in two, stereoptic views which are of the same optical characteristics as respective ones of the two viewing ports. These views are generally superimposed, but are slightly laterally out of registry by an amount sufficient to produce a simulation of three-dimensional imagery to a viewer who places the package to his or her face and views therein with both eyes, each looking through the respective viewing port at the respective view of the scene. The scene or scenes may be printed directly on the interior of the package, or on an insert which may be placed in or moved through the package interior. A skylight-type port may be provided for increasing illumination of the scene.

Claims

1. An openable package for a consumer product, with a built-in 3-D viewer, comprising:

folding, erectable wall means defining a package including a bottom wall, a top wall, and two pairs of generally upright opposed sidewalls, said package enclosing an interior space;

said top wall including two roof panels which, when said package is in a closed condition, rise obliquely from respective upper marginal edges of said sidewalls of one of said pairs of generally upright opposed sidewalls to a center ridge;

upstanding, slotted handle means provided on each said roof panel at said center ridge;

closure means releasably interconnecting said handle means so as to openably, reclosably maintain said package in said closed condition and provide access to said interior space;

said wall means including gable means which, when said package is in said closed condition, extend from respective upper marginal edges of said sidewalls of the other of said pairs of generally upright opposed sidewalls to bridge between such upper marginal edges and said roof panels and thus contributing to enclosing said interior space;

viewing aperture means provided in one of said sidewalls, said viewing aperture means including a region through which a user'"'"'s left eye may look into the interior space and a laterally adjacent region through which the user'"'"'s right eye simultaneously may look into the interior space;

the left eye region being glazed with a light-transmitting sheet material having a first visually apparent optical characteristic and the right eye being glazed with a light-transmitting sheet material having a second visually apparent optical characteristic which is substantially different from said first visual apparent optical characteristic;

the respective sidewall opposed to said one sidewall having an interior side providing a viewing screen; and

means providing a set of 3-D graphics including at least one scene presented in two substantially superimposed views which are slightly out of registry, along a lateral axis, with the left-most said view being printed in a medium constructed and arranged to be predominantly viewed only through the left eye region and the right-most said view being printed in a medium constructed and arranged to be predominantly viewed only through the right eye region;

said graphics providing means being constructed and arranged to be superimposed upon said screen for 3-D viewing through said viewing aperture means;

at least some of said graphics providing means being constituted by printing upon an opaque strip;

said respective opposite sidewall of said package which interiorly provides said screen having means defining a pair of parallel slits therethrough which are laterally spaced relative to one another;

said strip being insertable through one of said slits and out through the other of said slits in order to superimpose said graphics providing means on said screen;

aperture means defining a skylight in said one of said roof panels top wall for front-illuminating said graphics providing means within said interior space said aperture means being laterally bounded at the left and right by material of said one roof panel;

said wall means including a portion of said one roof panel of said top wall for at least temporarily closing said aperture so that said interior space may be substantially enclosed by said wall means for packaging at least one consumer article, which, upon removal exposes said viewing screen to said viewing aperture means;

said roof panel portion being constructed and arranged to be at least temporarily removed while said closure means remains releasably interconnected so that said set of 3-D graphics may be observed in a front-illuminating condition through said viewing aperture while said roof panel portion is at least temporarily removed but said closure means continues to maintain said roof panels otherwise closed.

2. The openable package of claim 1, further comprising:

a meal for a person, said meal being removably contained in said package so as to fill a substantial part of said interior space, so much so that said meal, until removed from said package by opening said one wall, obstructs said screen relative to said viewing aperture means.

3. The openable package of claim 1, wherein:

one of said left eye region and right eye region is glazed with a hot-colored translucent material and the other of said left eye region and said right eye region is glazed with a cool-colored translucent material.

4. The openable package of claim 3, wherein:

said left eye region is constituted by an aperture which is non-contiguous with said right eye region, which is constituted by a respective, separate aperture, there being opaque material of said one sidewall provided between these left and right apertures as a bridge;

said bridge being constructed and arranged to reduce nasally expelled breath of the viewing user from befogging said glazing.

5. The openable package of claim 1, wherein:

at least some of said graphics-providing means are constructed and arranged to be superimposed upon said screen by being printed on said screen.

6. The openable package of claim 1, wherein:

said graphics providing means comprises cartoon characters.

7. The openable package of claim 1, further including:

graphics printed exteriorly on said wall means in simulation of the appearance of the exterior of a movie theater.

8. The openable package of claim 1, further including:

graphics printed interiorly on said wall means in simulation of the appearance of the interior of a movie theater.